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an honest journey through
the grit and glory of life

mostly grit.

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Rest Easy Nashville

HOSTING, SIMPLIFIED.

Short-term rental management in Music City.

i once was a writer

most recent ramblings

words

on joy and grief

choosing gratitude

right here in the waiting

right here in the waiting

live less out of habit and more out of intent.jpg

one word. for one year.

don't you ever get tired?

after kavanaugh

after kavanaugh

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through my lens

My beautiful @houseofmandelaart piece, created and signed by Madiba himself, finally has a deserving home. The finger-drawn re-creation of the bars of his prison cell with the replica of his actual cell’s key made my breath catch in my throat t

Colorado, you never cease to amaze us!

Thankful to be able to explore somewhere new — Y’all! Created Butte is so worth a visit!! — and enjoy family time on bikes and trails, in hot tubs and restaurants, and at concerts and pool ha

Everything sweet is bitter.

But we’d rather feel it all — even the complicated layers of grief that loom heavy at a pool table — than feel nothing at all.

Everything bitter is sweet.

Heartache is as much proof of life as joy i

Eli’s spring break was full and fun! Disney, rocket launches, friend time, saltwater, all the good food & bevvies… Thankful for all the adventures we get to take together!

Side Note: Chaperoning a high school trip to Disney (14+ ho

S I X T E E N !
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Happy Birthday, @elipelton!

We are so glad we get to celebrate YOU today! You make our lives — and the world — infinitely better just by being you.

You are joyful and kind. You are wise and perceptive. You are will

T W O • Y E A R S
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There’s been more heartache in these two years than we should’ve experienced in a lifetime. And there’s also been more

love
connection
lingering meals
adventures
grace
lazy Saturdays
apologies
hard

St. Louis, you were good to us! Freezing — but so delicious, fun, and memorable!

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Knowing how significantly my own travels as a young person shaped my worldview, it is a gift to be able to prioritize travel and new experie

Experiences > Things

The days don’t always turn out exactly as I’d hoped, but the weeks add up more wonderfully than I could have ever imagined. I am beyond grateful for my little family and my beautiful life — in all its splendid, exhausting, complicat

This is NOT a picture of our son’s school band winter concert. This is a picture of an epic mom fail.

While Eli was there at the correct time, I somehow missed the crucial detail that the start time got moved up 30 minutes. So while his group

Maybe this resonates with you, too…

“It’s not a capability thing,” I reiterate to my freshman son. “It’s not a capacity issue or an intelligence indicator. It’s none of those things. It’s just a sign that some new skills need to be developed. T

It’s somehow been a year already, and we’ve somehow — impossibly — made it through the last of the firsts, those terrible milestones no one should ever have to mark off.

Like a phantom limb, the pain of Logan’s absence

When the roofers start hammering at 7:30 on the Saturday morning of a holiday weekend, I’m fairly certain our neighbors no longer care about our gift-bagged attempt at bribery. 🫣

Sorry neighbors! You’ll be invited to the post-construct

This one right here started high school yesterday. 10 hours before the first day bell rang, we were notified that he got into his top-choice school! Eli had been on a waitlist since spring and while he was ready to make the most of where he got place

How has it only been “official” since last August?! It feels like we’ve been together forever and — even better — absolutely made for each other! Having you for a son is the greatest joy of my life!

There’s only thirteen days left of middle school.

Thirteen days to soak up the 45 minutes E and I spend in the car for school drop-offs and pick-ups. While there have certainly been times the commute has felt tedious or inconvenient, the unin

These are the days.

Long car rides to and from school. Playing DJ and making playlists. Elaborate expositions of gaming exploits. School day play-by-plays. Practices, games, protein bars, gym bags. Stinky pits and sweaty hugs. Sideline cheering and